Cambridge, NY USA – The 9th Annual Tour of the Battenkill on April 13-14 in Cambridge, NY USA announces the addition of a gran fondo event to their weekend schedule. The already popular age group and category races remain on both Saturday and Sunday, while the new gran fondo classification will take the place of the recently-eliminated professional men’s race on Sunday, April 14. Participation in the gran fondo will be limited to the first 1,000 registrants and is open to the general public.

The new gran fondo event will travel on the same 65 mile / 105 km course known as ‘America’s Queen of the Classics’, considered the most difficult one-day race in North America. Riders will compete on various timed segments of the course which includes 10 dirt road sections and challenging climbs. Overall champions in various age-group categories will be crowned and awarded prizes at the end of the event.

The Tour of the Battenkill is America’s largest one-day, classic-style road race with more than 3000 amateur racers from 40 States and 15 countries in 2012. The event is stop #1 on the Stan’s Notubes Great American Cycling Series with 9 other major Northeast US events. www.greatamericancycling.com